Committee on Public Safety meeting, November 10, 2025
- When: Mon, Nov 10, 2025, 10:00 AM (Chicago time)
- Where: 201A, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 121 North LaSalle Street - Chicago, IL 60602
- Status: Scheduled & Published
- Committee: Committee on Public Safety
- Video: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1127626800
- Transcript: full text (10,944 words, automatic captions)
Meeting notes
AI-written from the transcript. Speakers are inferred from cues in the recording, so treat names as estimates and check the video at the linked time.
The Committee on Public Safety met to consider a resolution creating a joint City of Chicago and Cook County task force to address violence against women, after hearing from seven public speakers, several of whom described experiences as domestic violence survivors. The committee approved Rule 45 reports for July and September and accepted a substitute version of the resolution that sponsor Alderperson Silvana Tabares said cleans up language worked out with the administration. A presenter described the task force's goals of reducing violent crime, improving first responder safety, and creating a unified system, with a focus on transparency, data sharing between courts and police, service of orders of protection, and a planned report in July 2026. Members spoke in support, raising judicial training, court transparency, inclusion of transgender women, state partnerships, and services for children. The committee recommended the substitute resolution do pass without objection, to be reported to the next City Council meeting.
Topics: Domestic violence, Violence Against Women Task Force, Orders of protection, Court transparency, Data sharing, Judicial training, Public comment
Agenda items discussed
- 15:30 Public comment: discussed
- 36:47 Approval of Rule 45 reports for July and September: passed
- 37:02 Substitute resolution creating the City of Chicago-Cook County Violence Against Women Task Force (R2025-0019950): passed
Alderpersons who spoke
- Brian Hopkins (chair): Said the systemic reforms produced by the joint task force, if implemented, would save lives. (54:38)
- Silvana Tabares (alderperson): Said the substitute was worked out with the administration and cleans up language. (37:18); Said domestic violence is a deepening crisis even as overall crime trends downward, with domestic killings rising. (50:16); Described failures in serving protection orders, court backlogs, and release of high-risk offenders, and said the task force will map a survivor's path through the system. (51:15)
- Derrick G. Curtis (alderperson): Supported the resolution, described a domestic violence committee in his ward, and said women are afraid to attend meetings and groups struggle to obtain grants. (55:00); Asked about plans for wraparound services for children of victims. (1:21:15)
- Andre Vasquez Jr. (alderperson): Said Jayden Perkins and his mother were neighbors in his ward and that some judges are not taking orders of protection seriously. (57:35); Asked how the task force will examine the judicial system, saying new judges should not start in domestic violence court. (58:45); Asked for information on state-level changes needed and whether the courts' exemption from FOIA is unique to Cook County. (1:01:41)
- Debra L. Silverstein (alderperson): Expressed strong support for the resolution and thanked the survivors who testified. (1:04:33)
- Jessica L. Fuentes (alderperson): Asked to be added as a sponsor and described her sister's experience being failed by the system as a domestic violence survivor. (1:05:12); Called for holding judges accountable and investing in resources so people feel safe reporting. (1:06:03)
- Raymond A. Lopez (alderperson): Cited Southwest Side domestic violence cases and efforts to pass a law revoking FOID cards in domestic violence cases. (1:07:23); Said his mother was a domestic violence victim and urged the task force to examine culturally relevant nonprofit support networks. (1:08:06); Urged voters to reject retention of judges who do not take domestic violence seriously. (1:10:19)
- Peter Chico (alderperson): Drawing on his experience as a police officer, described repeat domestic calls to the same homes and said domestic calls are among the most dangerous for officers. (1:11:27)
- Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (alderperson): Noted that Jayden Perkins attended schools in her ward and said she regrets that survivors must retell their stories. (1:12:43); Asked how inclusive the task force will be of LGBTQ communities and transgender women. (1:14:14); Said the lack of judicial training is troubling given city employees' training requirements. (1:16:00)
- Desmon C. Yancy (alderperson): Thanked the survivors, said the testimony raised concerns about courts supporting abusers, and noted the disproportionate impact on African American residents. (1:24:13)
Exchanges between members
- 49:47 Tabares thanked Chairman Brian Hopkins and committee members.
- 54:36 Hopkins thanked Tabares for bringing the resolution forward.
- 55:04 Curtis thanked Tabares for bringing the resolution forward.
- 56:53 Hopkins thanked Curtis for his remarks.
- 1:04:33 Silverstein thanked Tabares for bringing the resolution.
- 1:05:12 Fuentes commended Tabares for bringing the resolution to the body.
- 1:07:23 Lopez joined colleagues in thanking Tabares.
- 1:11:27 Chico thanked Tabares for her leadership.
- 1:12:43 Manaa-Hoppenworth commended Tabares for the work.
- 1:13:39 Manaa-Hoppenworth thanked Chico for sharing his experience with repeat abusers.
- 1:16:06 Manaa-Hoppenworth echoed Vasquez's point about a lack of judicial training.